Wrench.



Patented-oet 23, 1900..;

G. BQ CARTER..

W R E N C H (Application xud Apt.. 1s, (ooo.)

I ERS C0, PNOTO-LIYHO., WSHINGYDN, D. C.

(lo lodel.)

GI/ihmowo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. CARTER, OF PElI-ERSBURG, VIRGINIA.

WRENCH.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,415, dated October 23, 1900.

App1i0ai01neanprn1s,1900. sean no. 13.331. om moan.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. CARTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wrenches of the sliding-jaw type; and it has for its principal object to produce a wrench of the character mentioned which will be simple and ineX` pensive to construct and effective and durable in use.

Other objects will become apparent upon a further description of the invention.

The invention consists of the general construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingr drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of my improved wrench; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section through the sliding jaw, and Fig. 3 a perspective view of the follower.

Referring to the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the stationary jaw, which is integral with the handle 2, as is usual in this class of wrenches.

The numeral 3 indicates the sliding jaw,

which is preferably made, for lightness and cheapness, from sheet metal struck up, with an opening 11 extending longitudinally through the head or upper portion thereof for the reception of the handle and having theside of the lower portion securely closed toform the jaw, as shown in Fig. 2.

The numeral 5 indicates a slidable follower, preferably constructed of sheet metal bent over upon itself, as shown in Fig. 3. The follower is provided with ears 6, between which the jaw 3 is connected bymeans of a pin 7, passing through an elongated opening 8 in said jaw. As thus connected the jaw 3 will have a slight longitudinal movement on the handle when the parts are unlocked. The inner upper portion of the follower is provided with teeth 9, which are adapted to engage withteeth l0 in the upper edge of the handle. l

The numeral 11 indicates an operating-lever loosely pivoted `between thesides of the follower by means of a pin 12, passing through n an inclined slot 13 inthe lever. The upper edge of the lever is provided with a recess 14, having an inclined side 15, adapted to operate against an oblong-shaped pin 16, passing through the sides of the follower. The lever is provided with a nose 17, which when the lever is being operated to lock the follower at any desired point presses against the head of a slidable pin l18, loosely secured in an in-` clined groove 19, made in the slidingjaw, to force the pin into contact with the under edge of the handle, so as to frictionally hold the slid-able jaw on the handle, and thereby pre- Yvent longitudinal movement. A spring 2() serves to force the follower into locked engagement with the teeth of the handle by exerting a downward pressure upon the follower when the lever is being moved toward the handle.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the above description, it only being necessary to state that as the lever is pressed down toward the handle the incline 15, operating against the pin 16, tends to force the lever ina forward direction, causing its nose to impinge against the pin 18 and force it into contact with the under edge of the handle, thus locking the several parts firmly together, the slidable jawin frictional contact and the follower in toothed engagement with the handle. The locked position of the several parts may be maintained 4by means of spring-catch 21, engaging the head 22 on the handle.

It will be obvious that the sliding jaw and the follower may be cast instead of being struck up from sheet metal, as described.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a wrench, the combination with a stationary jaw and a toothed ornotched handle, of a slidable jaw provided with a slot, a toothed or notched follower provided with ears and connected to the slidable jaw by a pinpassing through said ears and the slot,

an operating-lever loosely pivoted in the fol#I lower and provided with an inlined recess,

and a pin or lng secured to the follower and adapted no be engaged hy the inclined recess when bhe handle is operated, to give a forward movementI to said handle.

2. In awrench, the combination w'i'li'attionary jaw and a toothed or notched handle, of a slid-able jaw loosely connected toa toothed or notched follower slidable on the handle, an operating-lever loosely pivoted to the follower, means for givingA the levera slight; movementl,`and a 'slid'able pi in the slidable jaw adapted to be engaged'by the end of the lever in its forward movement, whereby a fricbional Contact is caused to be made between the slidahle jaw and handle.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. FRECH, J. R. NOTTINGHAM. 

